Thanks for these videos. They pushed me to pick the tyt over the uv-5r to start with. Might still pick up a uv-5r or uv-82 to mess with later, but the tyt is a great starter for me
That's a good point. I made footage for simplex and simply didn't put it in the video. Out of necessity and for documentation, I'm going to throw one up in the next day or so. Thanks!
Have you tried using he DTMF on repeater like our repeater has dtmf access to IRLP echolink just dial access code then node number usually most commercial radios no problem tight frequency and dtmf tolerance but my last radio just would not access it tried longer tones along with narrow band 12.5khz these chinese radios just seem to have poor tolerances and our repeater is a commercial duplexer
I just programmed an t 85. For emergency services and I can figure out how to use it the channels are there but I can’t get them to show so I can use it
Are you just seeing frequencies displaying? I don't have the radio any longer, but I think it was page 5 in the manual which provided information how to change to memory mode
hi Mike, I no longer have the radio. I gave it away to someone in need or a livestream giveaway I think . I tried to find information as to the differences and I just can't see anything. I wouldn't mind buying another one, but that would have to wait. Sorry.
@@HAMRADIODUDE Thanks for looking into it. I was unable to find anything after hours of searching. I did leave a comment/question on the Ailunce blog post where they announced the release. That was a month ago and they have yet to approve it to be posted. I'll send them an e-mail and maybe, just maybe I can get a response. Thanks again.
Did you get an update on the skip feature for NOAA Weather. I find it annoying on my baofeng to have to skip it when scanning. EDIT: Did you upgrade your antenna analyzer? I'm curious to how does the stock antenna of the RT-85 compare to the stock UV-5R antenna. If you upgraded the stock antenna of the RT-85 to a Nagoya NA-701 or anything else would there be a performance difference?
I'm sorry to say that I'm a little confused? You're asking me for an update on a baofeng? Which model? I don't have any association affiliation with baofeng. Also about the same for retevis at the moment. Thanks
@@HAMRADIODUDE Just local repeaters for the most part. I need a radio to put in my fishing kayak that I won't cry about if I drown it. But I do want the cleanest signal.
I would like to get a couple of more batteries for the RT85 but the site isn’t clear on which to get? If you bought one can you please leave a link for the battery and or battery eliminator? and thanks for the informative videos
Hi. I have not purchased a battery and I did give the radio away. These appear to be the batteries you would need amzn.to/3JE2I9e . (Affiliate link), but they are sold out. Best wishes on locating one. Sorry I was unable to help further
@@HAMRADIODUDE no problem, it was a lot of help, thanks….the Retevis site just isn’t clear or radio specific enough for me to order a couple, some radios are listed that are compatible but I’m not seeing that RA685 or RT85?? Take care
Here you go, page 5 on the manual: Press [ ] +[3] [5] key to enter Reset mode, then press [ ] key to enter.[ ] or [ ] key to select ALL/VFO/FULL 1.ALL:initialize all setting. 2.VFO:initialize all setting under frequency mode. 3.FULL:initialize all setting under frequency and channel mode. Good Luck.
Hi quick question, buying some walkie talkies for my parents, i don't really know much about them, they are looking for walkie talkies with a distance of 150 miles, is that possible? Or would they need something more complex? Sorry might sound like dumb question just really don't know anything about this. If you can point me in the right direction, thanks in advance!
150 miles is theoretically possible but highly unlikely. The only way I can see that being actually possible is, if both radios were on mountain summits, 150 miles away, with no radio frequency interference around. What will be the use of these radios, and maybe I can come up with a solution for you? Thanks!
I bought this today and sure what I bought. I want a good set of walkie talkies to use in my apartment complex (198 apts) and personal business. Will this work for what I want to do? Do I need a license?
Good Day, Wayne. (assuming you're in the US) For an apartment complex and personal business, you may want to look into MURS. I have no business operation experience, but MURS is for multi use. In order to use MURS, the radios should be part 95 certified. These radios are not 95 certified. There are however a large list of part 95 radios out there. The Retevis RT47V comes to mind. Another one I can think of is the BTECH MURS-V1. Both are Part 95 certified and do not require a license. I do not have any experience with the BTECH. The Retevis has been good in my testing. The 198 apartments, are they brick buildings? The only consideration with that, is some signals may have issues through lots of brick, or buildings with aluminum siding. That is mainly trial and error to see what works. Hopefully this helped you out. The nice thing about a part 95, is the radios will be ready to go, out of the box.
@@HAMRADIODUDE Thanks for the information. I had a plain set of WT (Cheap) they worked great till they died. I bought these but no where in the ad did they say anything about a license. I had to ask and was told they do need license.
Hi, you said it's the same radio as the TYT TH-UV98, what I agree, it's the same radio, same battery, same software but the UV98 is a 10W radio when the Retevis RT85 is only a 5W?!? What's the hell?!? I have the UV98 which is a real 10W... Is there really 2 versions of this radio? One in 5W and a second one in 10W??!!
@@HAMRADIODUDE You said that in the comment section 3 months ago if I'm right!? I use the Surecom sw33, I know that's not the more precise tool but I can have a reading with a 10% error I guess... If you have the possibility to test them both side by side with a tester it would be very cool to see that!👍
Just got an RT85 and really happy with it. Thanks for these videos because they're really helpful learning about it!
Great vid. I learned a lot about my recent purchase that I am waiting patiently for from Amazon
Hope you enjoy it!
Assuming you got it. What frequency range can it pick up?
Thanks for these videos. They pushed me to pick the tyt over the uv-5r to start with. Might still pick up a uv-5r or uv-82 to mess with later, but the tyt is a great starter for me
I hope you enjoy the hobby!
My question is how to use the pttid for emergency and also to press where they can see a name on the person that press the radio or a number
Great review. You did a receive test which was good but I would like to have seen you use it via simplex or just into a repeater as a test.
73 dude.
That's a good point. I made footage for simplex and simply didn't put it in the video. Out of necessity and for documentation, I'm going to throw one up in the next day or so. Thanks!
It's a 5 watt radio, what are you expecting from it? Its 5 watts, they're all gonna be about the same. Same 5 watts, different name.
Can I use this for work without any type of license? And how do I set it up to use for everyday work use
Ham radio dude very nice radio I think it's a great company I'm happy they put an SMA connector for the antenna 👍
Have you tried using he DTMF on repeater like our repeater has dtmf access to IRLP echolink just dial access code then node number usually most commercial radios no problem tight frequency and dtmf tolerance but my last radio just would not access it tried longer tones along with narrow band 12.5khz these chinese radios just seem to have poor tolerances and our repeater is a commercial duplexer
Thanks for the review of this radio sir, Can you do also a review for TYT TH-UV98? Thank You very much and more power to you channel. 73
Same radio as I recall. In fact when I read the radio and viewed the text file in the windows folder, there was even mention of the tyt uv98 ..
You might want to check the spectrum purity of the radio. I would hope it's a clean radio.
Thanks, I no longer have it, but I thought I did check. I'll see if I can get my hands on another one.
again another super vid keep them coming . nice one m8
😁
Gracias por tus videos, sì me gusta que coemntes los modelos 73 desde Argentina
I just programmed an t 85. For emergency services and I can figure out how to use it the channels are there but I can’t get them to show so I can use it
Are you just seeing frequencies displaying? I don't have the radio any longer, but I think it was page 5 in the manual which provided information how to change to memory mode
That radio has a very similar form factor as the TYT MD380
A new firmware revision was released in Jan '22, MCU-BQ1.35. Have you upgraded to it, if so what are the changes from MCU-BQ1.31?
hi Mike, I no longer have the radio. I gave it away to someone in need or a livestream giveaway I think . I tried to find information as to the differences and I just can't see anything. I wouldn't mind buying another one, but that would have to wait. Sorry.
@@HAMRADIODUDE Thanks for looking into it. I was unable to find anything after hours of searching. I did leave a comment/question on the Ailunce blog post where they announced the release. That was a month ago and they have yet to approve it to be posted. I'll send them an e-mail and maybe, just maybe I can get a response. Thanks again.
Did you get an update on the skip feature for NOAA Weather. I find it annoying on my baofeng to have to skip it when scanning.
EDIT: Did you upgrade your antenna analyzer? I'm curious to how does the stock antenna of the RT-85 compare to the stock UV-5R antenna. If you upgraded the stock antenna of the RT-85 to a Nagoya NA-701 or anything else would there be a performance difference?
I'm sorry to say that I'm a little confused? You're asking me for an update on a baofeng? Which model? I don't have any association affiliation with baofeng. Also about the same for retevis at the moment. Thanks
They must have fixed the volume button mind turns real smooth 👍
Ham radio interview the RT 87 you're going to love that one ❤️
Hey buddy thank you for responding to my I would really like you to check out the RT 87 tell me what you think of it I really love it 👍
I cannot currently. No money and no time. Thanks!
Thank you for the video series Ham Radio Dude
My pleasure! You may be able to win the radio - ua-cam.com/video/IX0X9Y-itv0/v-deo.html
Thanks for the great vid. Always enjoy your vids! Question, is the battery usb-c chargeable??
Hello. Thank you very much! I gave away this radio but as I recall it was not USB c. Have a good one
I know this is an older video, but do you still recommend a RT-85 over a Boefeng? Especially the GT-5R? Thank you, N5ACX.
They both have pros and cons. What is your primary goal with either radio. Make Contacts. Hiking, aprs, data, just talking on repeaters? Thanks
@@HAMRADIODUDE Just local repeaters for the most part. I need a radio to put in my fishing kayak that I won't cry about if I drown it. But I do want the cleanest signal.
Can this be unlocked for MARS/CAP for “transmitting out of band”. Ie GMRS and/FRS?
I'm nearly certain.
I would like to get a couple of more batteries for the RT85 but the site isn’t clear on which to get? If you bought one can you please leave a link for the battery and or battery eliminator? and thanks for the informative videos
Hi. I have not purchased a battery and I did give the radio away. These appear to be the batteries you would need amzn.to/3JE2I9e . (Affiliate link), but they are sold out. Best wishes on locating one. Sorry I was unable to help further
@@HAMRADIODUDE no problem, it was a lot of help, thanks….the Retevis site just isn’t clear or radio specific enough for me to order a couple, some radios are listed that are compatible but I’m not seeing that RA685 or RT85?? Take care
I just bought 4 of these and 3/4 hook right up with one another and then the last one dosnt even have channels set you know a easy fix for this
If you have the programming cable, clone one of the 3 that work and then write it to the fourth, if possible.
@@HAMRADIODUDE im not sure how to do that
How can I reset my Retevis RT85 so that it can transmit from one walkie talkie to another?
Here you go, page 5 on the manual: Press [ ] +[3] [5] key to enter Reset mode, then press [ ] key to enter.[ ] or [ ] key to select ALL/VFO/FULL
1.ALL:initialize all setting.
2.VFO:initialize all setting under frequency mode.
3.FULL:initialize all setting under frequency and channel mode.
Good Luck.
Hi quick question, buying some walkie talkies for my parents, i don't really know much about them, they are looking for walkie talkies with a distance of 150 miles, is that possible? Or would they need something more complex? Sorry might sound like dumb question just really don't know anything about this. If you can point me in the right direction, thanks in advance!
150 miles is theoretically possible but highly unlikely. The only way I can see that being actually possible is, if both radios were on mountain summits, 150 miles away, with no radio frequency interference around. What will be the use of these radios, and maybe I can come up with a solution for you? Thanks!
Just bought a two-pack for $24 on Amazon. I don't get how they can sell these for $12 a piece, delivered next-day.
ive been buying them at 29 bucks. good guve aways !
With 200 memory channels it take's you longer too fine your frequency then too punch it in by hand.
Retevis rt85 or Retevis uv5r???
Might be a good backup for my Yaesu , 73 W9YCD
I bought this today and sure what I bought. I want a good set of walkie talkies to use in my apartment complex (198 apts) and personal business. Will this work for what I want to do? Do I need a license?
Good Day, Wayne. (assuming you're in the US) For an apartment complex and personal business, you may want to look into MURS. I have no business operation experience, but MURS is for multi use. In order to use MURS, the radios should be part 95 certified. These radios are not 95 certified. There are however a large list of part 95 radios out there. The Retevis RT47V comes to mind. Another one I can think of is the BTECH MURS-V1. Both are Part 95 certified and do not require a license. I do not have any experience with the BTECH. The Retevis has been good in my testing. The 198 apartments, are they brick buildings? The only consideration with that, is some signals may have issues through lots of brick, or buildings with aluminum siding. That is mainly trial and error to see what works. Hopefully this helped you out. The nice thing about a part 95, is the radios will be ready to go, out of the box.
@@HAMRADIODUDE Thanks for the information. I had a plain set of WT (Cheap) they worked great till they died. I bought these but no where in the ad did they say anything about a license. I had to ask and was told they do need license.
YES, use MURS. GMRS and Ham both require licenses
Is this radio the new Baofeng killer?
If chirp eventually supports it, this radio will be a go to over the baofeng. Or if the programming software was majorly updated....
Thanks for the review, nice set up by the way 😏
Thanks! I always am looking to improve things in an attempt to get everything as good as I could.
Retevis RT-85 is the same radio as the TYT TH-UV88
It is. Same pattern company, even.
Im stuck at 144.000 to 148.000, even if i press 1 and 7. Help anyone😔
How do I use “ UHF” instead of “VFO”.?
I’m new to ham radio so don’t laugh 😂 lol
Thanks 🙏🏻
I have got two
Good Review I sure could use one if your giving it away I sure could use one look me up on QRZ been a ham (3) years Aloha From Hawaii WH6FLQ
Good Luck in the (UA-cam) Contest - ua-cam.com/video/IX0X9Y-itv0/v-deo.html
Drivers and software link: www.retevis.com/rt85-full-power-fpp-dual-band-ham-radio-us#A9195AX1 Click on Support
Hi, you said it's the same radio as the TYT TH-UV98, what I agree, it's the same radio, same battery, same software but the UV98 is a 10W radio when the Retevis RT85 is only a 5W?!? What's the hell?!?
I have the UV98 which is a real 10W... Is there really 2 versions of this radio? One in 5W and a second one in 10W??!!
Alright, I'll buy them both and them side by side. What are you using to test the power output, thanks.
Can you tell me which point I say th-uv98? That would be a mistake as it should be the-uv88. ...
@@HAMRADIODUDE You said that in the comment section 3 months ago if I'm right!? I use the Surecom sw33, I know that's not the more precise tool but I can have a reading with a 10% error I guess...
If you have the possibility to test them both side by side with a tester it would be very cool to see that!👍
@@dimebagtribute well I'm sorry to tell you that I misspoke then if I said the 98 was the same radio, the 88 is the same radio.
As far as me testing them side by side, it'll be a while because it cost me a lot of money to buy all these radios, no matter how cheap they are